The Energy and Commerce Committee put forth an amendment that simply said that Congress needs to admit that climate change is happening. All the Republicans voted against it! The leading scientific group of every industrialized country in the world has acknowledged it, but the GOP can't. The amendment did not even mention anything about human causes, but it was still too much for the anti-science party in denial.

Committee ranking Democrat Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) offered an amendment Tuesday that called on Congress to agree that climate change is occurring. The amendment failed on a party-line vote of 20-31. No Republicans voted for the amendment.

The amendment says that “Congress accepts the scientific finding of the Environmental Protection Agency that ‘warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level.’”

“This finding is so obviously correct that there should be no need to offer the amendment,” Waxman said.

deanhills

The Republicans seem to have some good reasons for not supporting the amendment. They seem to be concerned about how regulations following from the amendment could affect the economy. And maybe they have a good point. Probably something worth considering given the bad state of the economy in the US.

handfleisch

deanhills wrote:

The Republicans seem to have some good reasons for not supporting the amendment. They seem to be concerned about how regulations following from the amendment could affect the economy. And maybe they have a good point. Probably something worth considering given the bad state of the economy in the US.

Yes, good point, now the GOP should pass amendments that say "Toxic Waste is Healthy" because food quality regulations hurt the economy, and also "Cold Weather is Warm" to help the economy deal with heating costs. Maybe a Republican "Up is Down" statement will help fund the space program and a "Black is White" amendment would save money on streetlights.

The House Republicans rejected amendments offered Tuesday by Democrats that called on Congress to accept the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring, it is caused in large part by human activity and it is a threat to human health.

The amendments, offered at an Energy and Commerce Committee markup of legislation to block Environmental Protection Agency climate change rules, are part of an effort by House Democrats to get Republicans on the record on climate science.

You probably need to read the whole article to make sense out of it. The Dems apparently tried to use the Clean Air Act to introduce a number of EPA regulations surreptitiously.

Quote:

But Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), the chairman of the panel’s Energy and Power Subcommittee, said Republican legislation to block EPA climate rules is not about climate science. It is instead about preventing the EPA from passing climate regulations that Republicans say will hobble the economy.

“For us to be sitting around talking about the science, I think it’s a strong argument to be made on the other side, but the issue here is that the Clean Air Act is not the appropriate vehicle to regulate something like this,” Whitfield said.

Voodoocat

Let me get this straight: the economy is in dire straits, unemployment stubbornly refuses to drop, the stock market is plumetting, Arab rebels are pleading for American help while their own dictators gun them down in the streets, and Senator Waxman thinks we need to amend the Clean Air Act to state that EPA thinks that global warming is real.

Well, making that statement is a whole lot easier than actually solving problems, isn't it?

deanhills

Voodoocat wrote:

Well, making that statement is a whole lot easier than actually solving problems, isn't it?

I would have thought that those guys would have had much more serious problems to address, such as some of the ones you have mentioned, than faffing around something that both parties must have known won't see the light of day. What an absolute waste of tax payer's money.

handfleisch

Voodoocat wrote:

Let me get this straight: the economy is in dire straits, unemployment stubbornly refuses to drop, the stock market is plumetting, Arab rebels are pleading for American help while their own dictators gun them down in the streets, and Senator Waxman thinks we need to amend the Clean Air Act to state that EPA thinks that global warming is real.

And how are the Republicans focusing on the economy or helping "Arab rebels"? By attacking Planned Parenthood, gay marriage, teaching evolution in the schools and union rights and by giving huge tax payoffs to the rich. Sorry, your point is moot. Repubs could have just signed onto the bill and have avoided all this. Instead the anti-science faction of the Repubs is winning. Look at this, the Republicans are still pushing for Creationism:

As lawmakers wrestle with financial and policy challenges that could affect the quality of education in the state, one influential legislator is also hoping to change the way evolution is taught in Florida public schools.

Science education advocates are alarmed by a bill before the Legislature that they say could force teachers to challenge evolution at the expense of settled science.

Stephen Wise, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, has resurrected legislation he authored in 2009 that calls for a "thorough presentation and critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution." Wise's bill failed to pass in 2009.

The critical analysis approach originated at the Discovery Institute, a think tank that supports the teaching of intelligent design, which holds that evolution alone cannot explain life, which is so complex that it must have had a creator.

Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, led another battle over evolution in 2008, but the Legislature failed to pass her bill that would have given protection to teachers who criticized evolution.

Storms' bill was filed in response to science standards adopted that year by the State Board of Education, which for the first time used the word "evolution" instead of such terms as "biological change over time." The standards also required more intense and detailed teaching of the concept.

Wise, R-Jacksonville, thinks his evolution bill may have a better chance this year because there are more conservatives in the Legislature and because he chairs a substantive committee.

liljp617

There's an awful lot of red herrings swimming around here "/ bleh...

deanhills

handfleisch wrote:

And how are the Republicans focusing on the economy or helping "Arab rebels"? By attacking Planned Parenthood, gay marriage, teaching evolution in the schools and union rights and by giving huge tax payoffs to the rich.

I thought the Dems were in power? As Republicans can obviously only make a meaningful change if there were a serious shift in power in their favour. The little I understand is that the balance of power is in the Republicans' favour in Congress, but completely against them in the Senate. Which probably makes for a lame duck Government right now. You can hardly blame the Republicans for that however. Nor the electorate. I would blame the political system for it. It's totally archaic, has become a monster feeding on itself, and created an economic nightmare. Whether you have the Dems or Republicans in power does not make that much of a difference. There are just too many of them anyway, resulting in a cacophony of different opinions, serving different interest groups. And the media being pushed this way or that way at a HUGE multi billion dollar cost tag in order to manipulate the electorate and members of Government.

Voodoocat

handfleisch wrote:

Quote:

Sorry, your point is moot

Sorry, but it is not. My point is that Congress should be solving America's problems in the most economical, efficient way with the least amount of personal intrusion possible. I don't care what party you are affiliated with. Notice that I did not mention any political party, you did. Taking up valuable legisilative time to restate what EPA has already publically stated is a waste of time.

Quote:

Repubs could have just signed onto the bill and have avoided all this.

What a ridiculous statement! Do you honestly believe that one party should just bow down to the other in order to avoid debate? If so, then let's use your own words against the Democrats. Democrats should agree to defund NPR and agree with all of the other Republican budget cut suggestions. After all, Democrats "...could have just signed onto the bill and have avoided all this. "

deanhills

Was thinking of Handfleisch when I saw this cartoon tonight:

ocalhoun

handfleisch wrote:

And how are the Republicans focusing on the economy or helping "Arab rebels"? By attacking Planned Parenthood, gay marriage, teaching evolution in the schools and union rights and by giving huge tax payoffs to the rich. Sorry, your point is moot. Repubs could have just signed onto the bill and have avoided all this. Instead the anti-science faction of the Repubs is winning. Look at this, the Republicans are still pushing for Creationism:

Voodoocat wrote:

Let me get this straight: the economy is in dire straits, unemployment stubbornly refuses to drop, the stock market is plumetting, Arab rebels are pleading for American help while their own dictators gun them down in the streets, and Senator Waxman thinks we need to amend the Clean Air Act to state that EPA thinks that global warming is real.

Well, making that statement is a whole lot easier than actually solving problems, isn't it?

What?
Both Democrats and Republicans are more worried about pushing their pet agendas than solving any real problems!?!
Well... Color me shocked.